It started in France, moved on to Russia and now it is the turn of
Great Britain. On Saturday, September 4th, Thorpe Lakes in London will host a
very special Slalom Waterski World Cup Stop; and this will be the last Stop in
Europe in 2004. The battle will commence at 9.00am sharp!

Stops in Singapore, China, USA and
Qatar are next in line on this Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup tour.

Firstly, the Thorpe Lakes Slalom World
Cup Stop will be one for the history books; no matter what the outcome. Just
about every one of the World's top ranked Men and Women Slalom athletes will be
present. International Waterski Federation World Cup points are at stake; and
so is a total season Cash Prize fund of US$650,000. Rarely will so many of the
best Slalom Skiers in the World assemble for a single challenge of this
magnitude. The line-up will include two joint holders of the current World
Slalom Record, past and present World Slalom Champions and a long list of
National Slalom Champions, both male and female.

Secondly, this exceptional array of Slalom talent is also heading for
Thorpe Lakes to honor the pending retirement of a truly international athletic
phenomenon. It is doubtful if any athlete in any other physically demanding
sport anywhere in the World could ever equal his achievements! His name is Andy
Mapple. Here are some impressive statistics to give an insight to his
extraordinary history of unbroken success.

Andy Mapple was born in Lancashire,
England in 1962. He will be 42 this year. After only five years on the water, he
was selected for the British National Team. He has been a member of that team
for over 24 years. At the tender age of 19, he won his first World Slalom
Champion title. This was followed by an unprecedented 10 World Slalom Records,
14 US Masters Slalom Champion titles, 10 US Open Slalom Champion titles, 11
Moomba Masters Slalom Champion titles; plus a ranking of number one in the
World for 18 years. In all, this amounts to 163 professional Waterski victories.
True to character, to prove that he is not just coasting home, he yet again took
the title of champion at last weekend's MasterCraft Pro Championships in Akron,
Ohio. In a punishing physical sport which requires total dedication and a
grueling training regimen, Mapple's talent may never be equaled in any other
sport.

Andy Mapple stunned the world of Waterskiing in May of this year by
announcing at the US Masters at Callaway Gardens, Georgia, that this will be his
last season of competition. After a lifetime of traveling from his family base
in Florida, he is returning home to England for this Waterski World Cup at
Thorpe Lakes. Just two years ago, he returned to accept an OBE award from Queen
Elizabeth. This time his last competition in his country of birth promises to be
a very emotional affair. Waterski supporters from far and near will certainly
head for this Waterski World Cup Stop to see if this phenomenal athlete can give
the best in the World a run for their money just one last time. History will
certainly be made on Saturday, September 4th, no matter what the outcome
!

Sponsors Sunsail, the world's leading
watersports and beach club provider, promise to bring a special party atmosphere
to this Waterski World Cup Stop with laser shows and beach activities.
MasterCraft will again supply the competition boats worthy of this historical
Slalom event.